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The world of Christmas ornaments is incredibly diverse. From traditional glass baubles to quirky, novelty ornaments, there's something for everyone. Many modern ornaments feature popular characters from movies, TV shows, and cartoons, adding a touch of pop culture to the holiday season.
The tradition of decorating trees, particularly during Christmas, dates back centuries. However, the concept of hanging ornaments on trees is believed to have originated in 16th century Germany. Back then, people decorated their trees with fruits, nuts, and other edible items. Over time, this evolved into using more decorative items like candles, paper decorations, and small trinkets.
Thursday, May 22nd
Renowned as a comprehensive destination for all things home-related, Wayfair's inventory spans outdoor products, bedding and bath, rugs, home decor, lighting, kitchen essentials, baby items, and much more. With over 35,000 results for Christmas ornaments alone, Wayfair stands out as a top pick for shoppers seeking both sets for decorating the whole tree and individual ornaments as a new addition to their holiday display.
Most expensive "ornaments” are a laugh
Usually when we start shopping for just about anything at Wayfair, we take a look at the most expensive items in the category (just for fun). Let's just say that we encountered some of that weird pricing stuff that has often had people scratching their heads: a simple red ball ornament by Queens of Christmas for $961.42? A basic velvet outdoor structural bow for $464.99, down from an original price of over $1,200? Our favorite, though, was a glass hanging figurine ornament in the shape of a Kitchen Aid mixer for "just” $752.99, but with a surprising 80+ 5-star reviews. (We're pretty sure they bought it at a normal price and left the reviews at that time.) This isn't a problem, though, just something that was funny to see.
High-end brands like Lladro on offer
You can get Christmas ornaments and tree toppers that are worth a higher price at Wayfair, if that's what you're looking for. We spotted some gorgeous options by Lladro, for example, that collectors would gladly pay the $350 to have on their tree. Wayfair legitimately has something for everyone.
Filters and search bar are your time-saving friends
Your best bet? Use the filters to make it easier to browse Wayfair's inventory. It might surprise you, but they give you other holidays with ornaments you can shop for (perhaps you're giving an ornament to someone who is a huge fan of Halloween?). More likely, however, you've got an idea of the color, material, number of ornaments in the set, price point, or some other aspects of your ornaments in mind. Once you've put in the filters you want, you can then view all of the matches by customer rating, recommended, or price from high-to-low or low-to-high. And, of course, if you have something really particular in mind (a new baby ornament, something for your recent graduate), there's always the search bar too.
Popular and affordable ornaments
One of Wayfair's most popular Christmas ornaments is Mercury Row's Glitter Snowflake set of 24. It comes in 20 different color options, ranging from traditional white, silver, and several shades of blue, to hues you'll never see in natural snow (like purple, lime green, and jet black). Priced at $59.96 at the time of our most recent visit to Wayfair, these ornaments had over 1,700 5-star reviews, many of which had photos from shoppers proudly displaying how the snowflakes looked on their trees.
Customer reviews are a wealth of info
Those reviews are one of the best features of shopping at Wayfair. Want to know if that cute "first Christmas together” ornament is going to still be in good condition on your 5th anniversary? Wondering if those purple-and-white striped balls are going to look funny with the pre-lit multicolored lights on your tree? Check the customer reviews.
Free shipping on most orders, 30 days for returns
Unless your order is under $35 (which will come with a shipping fee of $4.99), you'll get free shipping on your Christmas ornaments. You've also got 30 days to make your return, which you can initiate online and select whether you want to drop it off at an authorized location or have it picked up at the address you specify, but either way your applicable return shipping costs will be deducted from the refund.
Gets the compliments and complaints expected
Wayfair continues to get the Better Business Bureau's highest "A+” rating and accreditation, despite having thousands (and thousands) of complaints. The retailer responds in a professional, appropriate way, and given that they sell millions of items to millions of customers, it's to be expected that Wayfair gets its share of complaints. We're not particularly concerned, especially since smaller items like Christmas ornaments aren't going to have the issues of big-ticket items like furniture or electronics.
Best selection of Christmas ornaments online
Wayfair remains at the top of our list of Christmas ornament retailers for one big reason: selection. There's no other store that can give you over 35,000 options, and that alone can save you a lot of time. While you'll have to shop at a different place if personalization is a must-have, Wayfair is the #1 place to get just about everything else for your Christmas tree and decor.
Etsy is our favorite place to get Christmas ornaments that are the opposite of mass produced. From handblown glass to hand-painted oyster shells decorated with palm trees in full holiday regalia, the ornaments here are a joy to browse and often radiate the love of the people who make them.
Sets are spendy but special
That's not to say you can't get ornament sets here. You can absolutely find some sellers who offer themed groupings of ornaments. However, you'll pay more for them than for an assembly-line, made-in-China box of plastic baubles that aren't anything special. (We're not judging if that's your vibe! There are retailers on our list who offer those, and they're great for decking the branches from top to bottom in one uniform color/style!)
Your wish is Etsy sellers' command
But, we took the opportunity to order four custom Christmas ornaments from four different Etsy sellers, and we were thrilled without exception. While there are other stores on our list that also provide personalized ornaments, those tend to be a little on the cartoonish side, or they don't necessarily have the super-niche styles you might be looking for. We had some pretty unique requests, like an ornament celebrating a long-distance relationship between the US and another country, and one in the shape and style of a Disney Cast Member, and it was no problem to not just find those but also multiple options that were all perfect.
Details are easy to find and understand
As you look through the options here, you can see at a glance what each ornament costs and how many reviews each ornament has. Click on one that interests you to see even more details to guide your purchase: an estimated delivery window, any shipping costs (some ship for free), dimensions, desired personalizations (like color of the hanging ribbon/string or the names/dates/places to be featured), and so on. One tip as you start to shop, though: make sure to keep the "most relevant” sort in place. When we tried to look at Christmas ornaments by price, we started seeing a long list of items that had nothing to do with holiday decorations (like bottle openers and geodes?!).
Personal touch working with Etsy sellers
It's usually pretty nice interacting with the Etsy sellers, too. More often than not, there are real people behind these accounts, and they love to make sure your ornaments turn out just right. That's why the customer reviews (which can number in the hundreds or even thousands on some ornaments) are so important: to you, so that you can see that a seller is one to trust, and to the seller, so that their business keeps on growing. It's completely different from shopping at That Big Store Online, right?
Shop with confidence
However, if you're still a little nervous about ordering from a creator instead of a corporation, Etsy understands. That's why most Christmas ornaments are eligible for Purchase Protection: you'll see that displayed in the item's information if it qualifies. If your ornament doesn't match the description or photos, it arrives damaged or after the estimated arrival date, or doesn't arrive at all, reach out to the seller first. You can escalate the issue to Etsy 48 hours after you contact the seller and once the estimated delivery window has passed. If all else fails, Etsy will refund your purchase.
Best place to buy personalized or unique Christmas ornaments
From sweet and simple to intricate and impressive, the Christmas ornaments available on Etsy don't disappoint. While naturally this isn't going to be the right place to shop if you need a whole bunch of relatively same-looking ornaments for a quick tree decorating session, it's 100% the best place to look for ones that will be unique and crafted with care. From niche sports and hobbies to special occasions and everything in between, you'll find anything you're looking to celebrate or commemorate with a Christmas ornament. Etsy earns an excellent rating when shopping for personalized ornaments.
Personalization Mall is part of the 1-800 Flowers brand family, which also includes big names like The Popcorn Factory and Harry & David. As you'd rightly conclude from the name, the Christmas ornaments here are all about customization, and you'll never pay extra fees for including your pet's name, your anniversary date, you name it.
Wide range of styles, all with customization
You'll find over 4,500 ornaments to choose from and make uniquely yours here. The styles at Personalization Mall range from childlike and whimsical to elegant and dignified, unlike some shops specializing in personalized ornaments that all look a little like a cartoon.
Filters will save you time
You're going to want to use any (or many) of the filters to arrive more quickly at the Christmas ornaments that you have in mind. You may already know you're looking for something special to memorialize a furry friend who crossed the rainbow bridge over the last year (look in the Pets category) or you want a style that includes photos (you can choose ornaments with 1-5+ pics). You can even design your own ornament from scratch here.
Take a peek at customer reviews on ornaments
While you won't always see customer reviews while you're browsing your results, click on any ornament you like to see if it's been a consistent winner with previous buyers. One of Personalization Mall's most popular Christmas ornaments is the Close To Her Heart design, priced on sale for just $11.99 at the time of our review and with over 1,600 reviews averaging a near perfect 4.9 stars. Available in glossy, matte, or wood finishes and in both 1- and 2-sided designs, this ornament lets you add up to a whopping 21 names. If you've ever needed an ornament that can spotlight all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and more, this is it.
Shipping is expensive
Unfortunately, a big drawback to getting Christmas ornaments through Personalization Mall continues to be the high shipping fees. Where most rivals will give you free delivery at a certain order threshold (like $49+), your shipping costs here only go up as your order total increases. We added a $40 ornament to our cart and weren't thrilled to see a shipping fee of $12.99.
Passport to savings
One way you might be able to save on shipping here is through the Celebrations Passport. It's a one-time annual fee of $29.99, and it gets you no-cost delivery across the entire 1-800 Flowers family of brands. There are some exceptions, and we weren't able to find out how to make it work on the ornaments we browsed, but the Personalization Mall rep in live chat assured us that as long as we selected economy or standard shipping, it would be free as a Celebrations Passport member.
Over 25K 5-star reviews
Customers are pretty enthusiastic about their experiences with Personalization Mall. Across 27,000+ reviews left on Google, this retailer has earned an impressive average of 4.8 stars (do the math and you'll see that equals more than 25,000 5-star reviews). We found compliments from shoppers who've used this store for years and have always been thrilled with the quality and the fast delivery times. They also frequently mention how their items look exactly as shown on the website, with some referring specifically to Christmas ornaments in their comments.
Excellent choice despite shipping fees
Personalization Mall is a site you can trust for Christmas ornaments for just about any occasion. It's an ideal place to shop if your family has the tradition of giving each member a new ornament each year, one that commemorates a special occasion or achievement (in the year that passed or in the one on the horizon). While you'll need to pay attention to those shipping costs and may want to subscribe to the Celebrations Passport, Personalization Mall gets a very high rating from us.
Christmas Central has been delivering Christmas decor joy for over 20 years, with 15+ years of experience as an e-commerce retailer and the backing of the family-owned-and-operated Gordon Companies Inc. (That affiliation is why you'll find not just Christmas ornaments but a wide variety of non-holiday items in the online store too.)
Almost 5,000 Christmas ornaments in stock
Selection is certainly not a problem when it comes to Christmas ornaments here. We found more than 4,600 in Christmas Central's inventory, encompassing both individual items and full sets to decorate your entire tree. You could start with a category in mind, and there are plenty to consider, from Angels and Animals to Western and Woodland (and nearly two dozen in between). Otherwise, filters can be helpful if you already have an idea of the ornament size, color, material, brand, or price you're looking for. The only type of ornament we didn't find are the personalized sort, but you've got plenty of other places to shop for those if needed.
Prices to fit every budget
There are ornaments for every budget at Christmas Central, with the lowest priced at $1.99 and the highest being a 12-count package of White and Gold Snowflakes for $312.99. There was one fun little outlier, though: a "Gargantuan” Illuminated Christmas Ornament, 28” tall and weighing in at 21 pounds, priced at $1,177.99. It's meant to be staked in the ground, though, not hanging from your tree, and there were only a few left during our visit (so you might not get the chance to impress your neighbors with this particular ornament).
Click for more info
Once you find the Christmas ornaments that catch your eye, click on them to see more photos, product information like materials and dimensions, how many are still in stock (great for procrastinators to see that no, they really can't wait and expect to see it available tomorrow), and view any available customer reviews. To be honest, most of the ornaments here don't have much feedback; even when we sorted Christmas Central's results by "most popular”, the ornaments we saw never had more than 10 ratings. You'll just have to rely on your best judgment.
Shipping and return policies aren't exceptional
To get free shipping here, you'll have to purchase at least $77.01 in merchandise. That's a bit higher threshold than some of Christmas Central's rivals, but it shouldn't be too hard to reach if you add other decorations, garland, or tree accessories to your cart. Also, if you need to make returns, you'll have to get the items back to Christmas Central within 30 days of receipt or before 12/25, whichever comes first.
Rewards or not?
Keep an eye out for a rewards program too. There was a link for one at the time of our visit, but unfortunately that page was blank. Maybe you'll have better luck?
Reputation is fantastic
Christmas Central gets a lot of 5-star reviews, which they're more than happy to display on their website. Just scroll down to the bottom of any product page to see them. People have been buying all of their Christmas decor, including ornaments, from this retailer year after year, and say that the items are great and the customer service even better. We're also glad to report that Christmas Central doesn't filter out the less-than-perfect reviews; there aren't many of them, but the fact that they're there (and that they have empathetic responses from store reps) is a good sign.
Earns our recommendation for buying Christmas ornaments
You've got lots of reasons to shop at Christmas Central for your ornaments. The selection is vast, you've got the convenience of one-stop shopping for other decor items you may need (for Christmas or any other season), and customers across the board say that they love ordering from this retailer. We give Christmas Central a high score and our thumbs-up as a great place to buy Christmas ornaments.
Who doesn't love a good Target run? But, when the roads get icy and you still need a good selection of Christmas ornaments for this year's festivities, it's time to take your shopping trip to the internet to browse more than 3,400 options at Target's online store.
How about an ornament for the yard?
Every so often, you find something surprisingly spendy at Target, and Christmas ornaments are no exception. When we looked at the most costly option at the time of our online shopping trip, it was the Northlight Pre-Lit Inflatable (!) Commercial Outdoor ornament. You're not going to hang this bad boy on your tree, though: it's 5' tall and made for commercial use. (Oh, and it was $1,658.99 when we looked, on sale from a regular price of over $2,000!)
Legitimately high-end ornaments available
There were some high prices on more traditional Christmas ornaments too. Target was offering a set of three Christopher Radko ornaments in the motif of frogs playing instruments. They were priced at $515.98 (on sale!), but that's what you pay for ornaments that are hand-painted and glittered in Italy "in a series of labor-intensive steps”.
Great selection but filters could be more specific
Realistically speaking, you're probably on the hunt for something a little more every day, like sets to decorate a brand-new tree from top to bottom or a special occasion remembrance for this year's themed ornament. We were surprised to see how novel the ornaments can be at Target; one that caught our eye was a cute little Daisy Scout uniform top by Kurt S. Adler for $21.98 (it was also offered in Brownie and Junior styles, FYI). Whatever you're searching for, the filters can get you there: color, price, and guest rating are the three that are most useful here. However, we wish Target took that a little further: the only way we could find ornament sets, for example, was to type it in the search bar, or otherwise we'd spend a lot of time browsing, hoping to find what we wanted.
Not as many product ratings as we anticipated
We also were a little disappointed to see hardly any ratings on the individual Christmas ornaments. Even when we asked Target to sort the results by bestsellers, many of the items had just one or two reviews from shoppers. Compared with Christmas ornament stores that have hundreds or thousands of ratings on some of its items, Target is a bit less helpful in that regard.
Free shipping via two methods
You've usually got two ways to get free shipping at Target: a Circle 360 membership or with an order totaling at least $35. Your choice! While many items we know and love can be ordered online and picked up in stores, Target's Christmas ornaments are frequently labeled as "not available in stores”, so keep that in mind as you're shopping.
Plenty of time for returns
Target is pretty legendary for its generous return policy. You've got 90 days on most items, and an extra 30 days on top of that if you used your Circle Card to pay for your Christmas ornaments. And, if any of those ornaments happen to be a Target-owned brand, you have a full year. You can make your return in store, curbside, or free by mail; it's up to you.
Terrific retailer of Christmas ornaments and so much more
We give Target a solid rating for Christmas ornaments. While the browsing experience could be improved a little (more filters, please!), the selection offers a lot of variety and Target's customer service is almost always on point. Your biggest challenge will be trying to avoid adding tons of other things you love to your shopping cart before you click the "pay now” button.
Lowe's can help you improve your home, but how about your Christmas tree? The answer is a big "yes”, with over 1,200 ornaments to choose from. You don't even need to take a trip to the store (although you might like to): just sign on to the Lowe's website and you're ready to go.
Shopping here is really easy
One reason we rank Lowe's a little higher than some of its big-box competitors is because of how easy they make it to find what you need. Right at the top of the Christmas Ornaments page, you can click photos showing ornament sets, collections in multiple colors/finishes, shatterproof sets, and popular colors like red and gold. But that's not all: the filters are much more robust than some of Lowe's rivals. You could be shopping for ornaments in a less popular color, have a particular theme or design in mind, or maybe even a sports team you're celebrating with your Christmas tree. You'll find all of those filters and more at Lowe's, which makes for an easy-breezy shopping experience.
You could spend over $300 here
We're not really sure what makes Vickerman's shatterproof ornaments so special, but across multiple colors they were the most costly ones in Lowe's inventory (priced from $239.99 to $319.99). We also got a chuckle out of the Design Toscano 25-pack of dog ornaments (!) for the bargain price of $226.86 (run the numbers and you'll see that's less than $10 per pooch!). You'll also find several 72-packs of ornaments from Northlight for just under $200.
Plenty of budget-friendly ornaments too
And on the other end of the price spectrum? Lowe's carries several options from Scentsicles to make your tree smell fantastic, priced at $8.99 for a 6-pack, and lots of individual ornaments in a wide range of styles for under $20 each.
Not a lot of reviews on ornaments
You won't find ornaments with hundreds of reviews at Lowe's; realistically, most people aren't making this their go-to destination for Christmas decor but are tossing something cute in their online cart with other items they knew they needed. Still, some of the ones you consider might have customer feedback, and that can help you know if they're as pretty or cute or shiny as they look on your computer screen. Some of the ones we noticed with reviews as being particularly popular are the StadiumViews with various NFL teams, some indoor/outdoor ornaments from Alpine Corporation, and some funny styles from Design Toscano (like a skull or dinosaur with a Santa hat).
Take advantage of the perks
When you shop at Lowe's, you get plenty of benefits. There's the convenience of ordering online and picking up at your favorite location; just make sure the one you prefer is displayed in the section where it says "Pickup” and the date your ornament will be ready by. You'll also get free shipping if your order is at least $45, so don't hesitate to toss a few things you need for other projects into your cart if you don't meet that amount with Christmas ornaments alone. If you're a MyLowe's Rewards member, your free shipping threshold drops to just $35, and Silver Key status members get no-cost delivery on all orders.
90-day returns... maybe
You've got 90 days to return your Christmas ornaments, with the easiest option being in-store. We're not 100% sure about the holiday items exception, though: it says they have to be returned "on or before the day of the holiday”, and that any items purchased after the holiday are "final sales” with no returns. So, what if you buy your Christmas ornaments in April as you plan ahead? Is that before the upcoming holiday or after the previous one? That's something to keep in mind, but given how easygoing Lowe's usually is with returns, we're not super worried about it.
Not bad for a home improvement store
Lowe's earns a high rating for Christmas ornaments in our review. It was refreshing to find an easier-than-usual shopping experience, with little time wasted trying to hunt down the styles we were looking for. We're big fans of how clearly Lowe's displays essential details like shipping timeframes and free delivery eligibility, and what's not to like about a 90-day return policy? Don't hesitate to add those Christmas ornaments to your cart if you see something you like at Lowe's.
Walmart sometimes gets a bad rap, mocked for both the quality of the items it sells (or lack thereof) and the demographic of its shoppers. But, let's be honest: if we need something basic, last-minute, "good enough”, or in multiple brands and varieties, Walmart is where most of us go. There's absolutely no shame in that game, whether you're buying OTC cold meds or Christmas ornaments. So, let's take a look at what Walmart can offer for your holiday decor.
Thousands and thousands of ornaments
When Walmart says they have "1,000+” options in the Christmas Tree Ornament category, they really mean "over 7,000”. Quite frankly, we were surprised (in a good way) by the range at Walmart, not just cheapie little baubles for under $2, but also coveted (and hard to find) Disney Princess castles by Hallmark, ornaments featuring university logos and mascots, plus full sets in both glass and shatterproof plastic for decorating whole trees.
It's going to take some time to find what you want
The filters here aren't as useful as some of Walmart's competitors. There's no option to sort by color; "pattern” is the only one that might come close. You also can't narrow down the results by shape, size, or even if the ornaments come in a set. Be prepared to invest a little more time in finding the right Christmas ornaments when you come to Walmart (which is a lot like the experience of shopping in the store, IYKYK).
Other shoppers will tell you what's what
One big benefit of shopping at Walmart is taking advantage of other shoppers' feedback. It'll probably come as no surprise that some of the Christmas ornaments aren't the best-made on the market, and you'll see that reflected in the ratings average. For example, the Botrong 24-piece set offered in multiple colors had over 650 reviews that only averaged 3 stars; but, when you're paying $6.68 at Walmart for two dozen ornaments, you know exactly what you're getting in terms of quality, right?
Easy to see the important details
Keep in mind that Walmart sources its Christmas ornaments in a variety of ways, with both in-house fulfillment and via partnerships with third-party sellers. That can impact whether or not you get free shipping, how quickly your order arrives, and whether or not you can use your W+ membership benefits. Fortunately, it's easy to see those details even as you browse the ornaments in the inventory.
Customer-friendly return policy
Walmart is more generous than most when it comes to returns. You've got 90 days to take your Christmas ornaments to your local store (including curbside), schedule a pickup with FedEx, or send them back free via mail.
We all know Walmart's reputation
And, there's probably not much point in going into Walmart's overall reputation. It is what it is. Plus, you've got plenty of reviews on individual ornaments to guide your purchase, and that ample 90-day return/refund window if you don't wind up liking what you bought.
Better than you'd think for Christmas ornaments
Walmart comes in as solidly above average for buying Christmas ornaments. While there are other retailers that make it faster to find the specific ones you're looking for (especially in terms of color, shape, and quantity), the selection here is quite broad. And, you've got the advantage and convenience of one-stop shopping for all of your household needs, as well as free shipping on many items. Walmart is a surprisingly good option for Christmas ornaments.
The Home Depot has everything you need to improve your living space, so it shouldn't be a surprise that they carry Christmas ornaments. You'll find a decent selection of around 300 options, mostly sold in sets, but with the occasional, special single ornament as well (like the annual White House design). And, because this is a home improvement superstore, the ornaments sold here aren't strictly for your indoor tree. In other words, if you're trying to decorate that pine (or that palm) in the yard too, Home Depot can help.
Smooth shopping experience
You'll have a pretty easy time zeroing in on the Christmas ornaments you've got in mind. Are you looking for a theme, like snowflakes or stars? Maybe a color family, like gold or multi? Or perhaps you know that glass is the only way to go for the look you're picturing? Home Depot has filters for all of that and then some.
Jingle all the way (to the yard)
Just for fun, we took a look at the most expensive ornaments in Home Depot's inventory and found the nearly 20” Large Metal Jingle Bells (in a set of 2), priced at $229.99. If the item photos are any indication, these are more likely to be resting in your yard than hanging from a tree, but you do you!
Fun designs will surprise you
We also found some Christmas ornaments that we didn't expect from a home improvement superstore. Search for "Design Tuscano” and see for yourself, but expect to see dragons, skulls, and dinosaurs (oh my!) in the mix.
Lots of ornaments in sets
And yes, you can also get basic ornament sets here. Look for options by Nearly Natural and R N' D Toys for up to 100 ornaments all in a theme or color, like rose gold and white or assortments that even include a small star for the top of the tree.
Great return policy
Home Depot excels when it comes to customer-friendly policies, like free delivery or in-store pickup on most Christmas ornaments (the lowest-priced ones aren't usually included, but just add a few more items to your cart and you'll be good.). You've also got a really generous return window if you don't like what you get: 90 days with proof of purchase, either by mail or to your local store. And, if you happen to buy your ornaments with a Home Depot credit card (consumer or commercial), you've got a full year for returns.
Would be ranked higher if inventory were larger
There's really nothing wrong with buying your Christmas ornaments at Home Depot, especially if you're already adding a few other home improvement necessities to your shopping cart and you want to get ahead of the decorating season. But, because their inventory is so much smaller than its big-box store rivals, we can only give Home Depot an average rating.
The Christmas Sleigh was founded in 2001, as a cute brick-and-mortar shop in Middleburg, Virginia. The owners go to great lengths (literally) to bring in new ornaments every year, sourcing them from Germany, Austria, and Italy, allowing customers to have the look of a traditional European Christmas without ever leaving their own homes.
Many categories of traditional-style Christmas ornaments
There are several categories of ornaments you can choose from at The Christmas Sleigh:
Old World-style ornaments and nothing else
As you can see, these Christmas ornaments are very niche. Traditional German holiday? Yes! Cute annual ornament for the kiddos? Probably not. At least the pricing is attractive, with many ornaments priced at $30 or less (though there are few that are as much as $100).
Missing some important details
It's a little mind-boggling that The Christmas Sleigh still doesn't spell out its shipping or return policies online. You'll have to fill out the online form to get an RMA, but the store doesn't tell you how much time you have to do that from when you receive your ornaments, if you'll have to pay any restocking fees, nothing. It adds to the feeling that the online store is a bit of an afterthought and the retail store is the actual star of the show.
Where's the feedback?
This retailer continues to have an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, but there's not much in the way of other feedback (and we've been looking for it for several years). You'll find some Yelp reviews for the brick-and-mortar store in Virginia (which, sadly, only average out to 2.9 stars), but the most recent there was back in 2019. There are a handful of positive reviews on the store's Facebook page, but you'll have to weed out all of the 5-star spam comments first. And, as far as the ornaments go, it's hard to find any reviews on them individually too (even though there's a place for them on the website).
Great choice if you like the style
All we can offer The Christmas Sleigh is a "just average” rating. The pricing is reasonable and the store has been in business for a long time (despite the look of the website), so we don't have any concerns about reputability. It's just that the focus on German and Austrian Christmas ornaments will have many shoppers looking to the higher-ranking retailers on our list. Most people aren't going to be seeking out the types of Christmas ornaments they sell, but for those who are, this store will be a treasure trove of options.
Michaels is a crafting superstore, but don't worry: while they do have ornaments that let you get your DIY on, there are lots of Christmas decorations for your tree that won't require any extra work.
Ornament selection strays from the focus
We felt a little annoyed at first, when we started shopping at the Michaels site for Christmas ornaments. Despite having the "Best Match” preference set, our initial matches right on the Christmas Ornaments category had decidedly un-Christmas-y things like a raw wood ornament in the shape of a beetle and a tabletop water fountain. Because nothing says "deck the halls” like bugs and Zen?
Filtering isn't great and ornaments are expensive
It really didn't get a lot better as we started focusing in on the ornaments that were clearly appropriate for the holidays. For a set of 52 shatterproof (read: plastic) ornaments featured on the main page, the price was an uncomfy $143.99 (but at least there was a code for 20% off on all regular-price purchases). Unfortunately, the filters weren't much help in getting us to more reasonably-priced sets: we could narrow down the ornaments by brand, color, or shape, but there wasn't anything beyond a few "set of 6” or "set of 4” options in the Size filter that worked.
Most Christmas ornaments are from third-party sellers
We also noticed that out of the 9,900+ results Michaels mentioned on the Christmas Ornaments page, almost 9,000 of them were offered by third-party "Marketplace” sellers: retailers and manufacturers who apply to sell their items through the Michaels storefront. (You can tell by looking for where it says "Sold and shipped by” in the previews of each item.) That's not unusual, and Michaels certainly isn't the only store on our list to do so. But, some of the ornaments we saw were coming from stores we reviewed separately, and we're not sure that it wouldn't just be better to buy directly from those retailers.
60-day returns and free shipping on orders of $49+
One positive is that whether an ornament is Michaels' brand or coming from a third-party seller, you've got a 60-day return policy, in-store or by mail. And, as far as we can tell, Michaels' "free shipping on orders of $49+” doesn't distinguish between who's selling and shipping your Christmas ornaments, either.
Ornaments don't usually have reviews
However, despite being such a huge retailer (and pretty popular at the holidays for Christmas decorating), most of the ornaments don't have many reviews, if any at all. That's a downside compared with some of the higher-ranked stores on our list with feedback that totals in the hundreds or thousands, complete with customer-submitted photos to show how the ornaments look on their trees.
Below average for Christmas ornaments
Michaels is fine as a store but lackluster when it comes to Christmas ornaments. The selection isn't easy to shop, results are often unrelated to the holiday, and the prices aren't anything to say "wow” about. Take our rating for Michaels as an indicator that there are better places to shop when you're decorating your tree.
Ornament Shop has been proudly selling Christmas ornaments since 1982, and they've been one of the largest online retailers of personalized ornaments since 1999.
The style is a little childish
We felt a bit unimpressed as we started to browse the Christmas ornaments at Ornament Shop: most of them strike a note that's a little on the cartoonish side for us, definitely more cutesy than elegant.
Lots of designs on display, especially for family ornaments
But, there certainly seem to be a lot to choose from. You'll find almost every imaginable sport and activity featured in designs at Ornament Shop, and if you're trying to find a family ornament that will include your new family of two or your very own Brady Bunch plus all the grandparents and more, it's more than doable here.
Wide range of categories
It's easiest to get what you're looking for at Ornament Shop if you start with a category. Those include Baby, Occasion, Pets, Sports, Hobby, Kids, Jobs, Travel, and so on. But, if you scroll through the top categories featured on the main page, you'll also spot options for photo ornaments; the ones we saw were for Weddings/Engagements or Memorials to honor a loved one who passed on.
Not as many choices as it seems
Just don't get your hopes up too high. When we went to what was supposedly a popular category, Engagement, we were shown zero products for "Anniversary, Engagement, Wedding Christmas Ornaments”. Our luck got a little better in Outdoor Recreation & Activities, with 181 ornaments to choose from. But, even the ornament with five stars only had one review, and it was from 10 years prior.
You'll spend almost $100 to get free delivery
You're also going to have to order a lot of Christmas ornaments to qualify for free shipping. Ornament Shop requires a minimum order of $99.
Typos and other site issues
We were also a little underwhelmed when we noticed a big typo right on the main ornaments page: "Collectable Ornamets” instead of "Ornaments”. And, that was also the case when we clicked on an FAQ link and were taken to a page called "Shipping”, where there were 4 out of stock items on display (and no FAQs or Shipping info to be found).
Reputation is really mixed
All of that makes us glad to see that Ornament Shop has an "A+” from the Better Business Bureau, and a strong average of 4.1 stars across more than 19,000 reviews on Trustpilot. Otherwise, we might have wondered if this store was on its way out, reputation-wise. However, when we started reading through the most recent reviews, the feedback was a mixed bag. We found some people describing ornaments that arrived in perfect condition and right on time, and others saying that their items were broken and that it took a long time to get any kind of resolution from Ornament Shop. It's great that they promise 100% customer satisfaction, but they need to actually deliver on that promise for it to count. And, unfortunately, we're not quite sure we can say that's the case for every order placed here.
Not a retailer we recommend anymore
From what we can see, Ornament Shop is resting on its laurels a little bit. It's great that they have received lots of 5-star reviews over the last 40+ years they've been in business, but at the moment, the attention to detail seems to have slipped (as demonstrated by typos on their own website, empty product categories, and recent customer reviews). We've had to drop this retailer in our ratings because, quite frankly, there are better places to get customized Christmas ornaments now.
King of Christmas likes to say that they're in the "memory-making industry, not the retail industry”. Everything they offer for the holidays is with the intent of helping you look back on your Christmases with fondness, with trees, ornaments, and decor that make everything just a little more beautiful and festive.
Hardly any ornaments to choose from
The selection of Christmas ornaments at King of Christmas is much more limited than we would have imagined for a store that focuses solely on the yuletide holiday. At the time of our most recent visit, there were just over 3 dozen options, many of which were different color options of the same style of ornament as follows:
Not much that stands out here
The ornaments look beautiful and would elevate the style of any tree decorated with them. But, you're not going to find anything here that you can customize, and the ornaments are all fairly classic in design.
30-day return window (or before 12/20)
If you get your ornaments and they're not to your liking, you have 30 days to return them. The one exception is that returns aren't accepted after December 20th, even if you received your ornaments less than 30 days before that. While you'll get free shipping on your ornament order, you'll be responsible for the delivery cost to send it back.
People have had issues with the Christmas trees
King of Christmas has earned a "just okay” rating of "B+” from the Better Business Bureau, with 16 complaints filed there over the last 3 years. All of those complaints were regarding Christmas trees and describe issues you're not likely to encounter when buying Christmas ornaments. That's the same for the lackluster 1.8-star rating average we found over at Trustpilot: lots of people unhappy with King of Christmas' customer service and overall quality of the trees sold there, but still nothing about ornaments themselves.
Reviews on ornaments are questionable
We'd say to use the reviews on the ornaments as a guide, so that you get the best value for your purchase. However, every single ornament option, from white glass to silver shatterproof, had exactly 235 reviews: they're all grouped into one, so when you're on the plastic ornaments and looking through the comments, you'll find feedback that isn't even related to the product you're considering. It didn't leave us feeling like King of Christmas is super transparent with shopper reviews, and it makes them not very useful in figuring out which ornaments to buy. We're glad that they're almost all 5 stars, but we can't say for sure that any negative ones haven't been filtered out.
Try a different store for Christmas ornaments
While we wouldn't say that King of Christmas is a bad option for buying ornaments, they don't really have much that makes them a great one either. The selection is so much smaller than even, say, a Big Box Home Improvement Retailer, despite being a Christmas-focused store, the styles are fairly limited, and the customer service has been lackluster for a lot of shoppers buying trees. We're not particularly excited by the prospect of buying Christmas ornaments here, which is reflected in our rating and our recommendation that you look at King of Christmas' higher ranked competitors instead.
As this tradition spread throughout Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, the ornaments themselves evolved. Handcrafted glass ornaments became popular in the 19th century, particularly in regions like Germany and Czechoslovakia. These delicate decorations were often intricately painted and adorned with glitter. In the 20th century, with the advent of mass production, Christmas ornaments became more accessible to the general public. Materials such as plastic, metal, and fabric were used to create a wide array of ornaments, though traditionalists still looked for the old-world styles in glass too.
Personalization has also become increasingly popular. People now look for ornaments that can be customized with names, dates, or special messages, making them unique keepsakes for families and loved ones. Many families have the tradition of buying a new ornament every year to reflect their interests, hobbies, or significant life events. For example, newlyweds may look for ornaments that celebrate their first Christmas together, while pet owners may seek out ornaments shaped like their furry companions.
Are you ready to deck out your Christmas tree? The world's best selection is, of course, online, but where should you shop? Here are a few things to look for that can help you get started:
To help you find the perfect Christmas ornaments to adorn your tree and create lasting memories for years to come, the elves at Top Consumer Reviews have shopped the selection at some of today's most popular retailers, ranking them from best to worst so that you know which ones are on Santa's "nice” and "naughty” lists. Happy decorating!
Select any 2 Christmas Ornament Stores to compare them head to head